JOB VACANCY IN A NEW AIRLINE COMPANY

Know anyone looking for a job? A new airline is looking to fill the following positions :

Chief Operating Officer
Director of Commercial
Director of Ground Operations & Customer Service
Human Resources Manager
Head of Security
Facilities & Procurement Manager
IT Manager
Product & Marketing Manager
Head of Internal Audit & Rick Control
Head of Legal
Manager Corporate Communications (PR / Media)
Ground Ops Manager
Station Managers
Revenue Manager
Engineering Projects & Planning Manager
Cabin Line Trainer/Flight Attendant
Head of Flight Ops (Ops Control Centre Manager)
Crew Roster Supervisor
Training & Standards Manager
Cabin/Crew Services Manager
Captains
First Officers
Flight Attendants
Sales & Distribution Manager
Schedule & Network Planning Manager
Ticketing and Reservations Manager
Sales & Marketing Assistants
Cust. Service/Reservations officers
Payroll Officer
Training Officer
Compliance (Safety & Quality) Manager
Engineering Safety Officer
Flight Safety Officer
Corporate Services Manager
Management Accountant
Inflight Service & Catering Manager
Training & Procedure Manager
Ramp Manager
Customer Relations Manager
Engineering Projects & Planning Manager
Maintenance Engineers
Finance Officers
Information Technology Personnel
Facilities and Procurement Personnel
Flight Dispatcher
Secretarial/Admin/HR Asst Personnel
Drivers

Interested persons should send their resume to recruitment@nextzon.com. Name of the airline is Eagle Airways.

THE CRUX OF THE MATTER FOR MEN

Once your perspective of who you are as a man is warped ,you will automatically malfunction. That's why the enemy's most lethal weapon against men is to ensure they have an identity crisis.

At the core of male dysfunction is the ignorance of one's true self and an internal validation of an individual's unique talents, passion and make up.

Once a man can accurately redefine himself,it helps him to accept his uniqueness and frees him from performance, poor self image or any complex.

Today in the manview by 1pm in wfm 91.7 ,am hosting sunny Amojor,the coordinator for the total man network as we discuss "identity crisis" in men.

You can listen online here.

Best regards

@dejiirawo

LIFE LESSONS FROM TWO FOOTBALLERS

Two footballers who fared very well in their careers ended up in two very different paths. You will learn a lot from this narrative. Who are these footballers? Celestine Babayaro and Jay-Jay Okocha. Happy reading.
...............
The story of these two footballers illustrates our point that even though two people may start at the same position, the decisions they make along the way, will cause them to arrive at very different destinations.
Celestine Babayaro is widely regarded as the best Nigerian full back ever to have lived alongside Taribo West. Babayaro set records as the youngest player to make an appearance and to receive a red card in the UEFA Champions League. He began his playing career at Nigerian side Plateau United, before moving to Belgian club Anderlecht in 1994, and eventually would make a name for himself, quickly gaining first-choice status although still a teenager. In 1996, Babayaro was part of the Nigeria Olympic gold medal winning team at the Atlanta 96 football event.

Babayaro was signed by Chelsea in April 1997. He moved for a transfer fee of £2.25 million, a club record paid for a teenager at the time. He was also instrumental in Chelsea's memorable run in the 1999-2000 UEFA Champions League. His acrobatic celebrations with backflips were noted and loved by the fans of the club.

In January 2005, he left Chelsea to join Newcastle United for an undisclosed fee, where he established himself as first choice left back.
Cele as he was fondly called, was amongst the highest paid African players in the world as he earned a tidy pile of ‘cash’ stated to be between £25,000 and $30,000 per week at Chelsea.

With millions of dollars in earnings, you would expect that Celestine Babayaro will be very rich by now. He bought a home for his family in England, near his own house also in England. He splashed millions on super cars and is known for hard partying. Some people who claimed to know him in Kaduna, said that he usually cruises around town with girls, and even bought an expensive porshe car for one of the girls.

Every footballer eventually slows down. Babayaro’s own came suddenly with a failed move to LA Galaxy, and a bout of Malaria fever. Unfortunately for Babayaro, he did not make hay, while his sun was shining. Soon, people he owed money started tracking him, and went to the extent of putting ads on Newspaper to locate him and get him to pay his debts. Finally in 2011, Celestine Babayaro declared himself bankrupt at a court in Croydon, meaning, that he is officially broke.
Jay Jay Okocha, a quick and skillful playmaker, is widely regarded as the best Nigerian player of his generation and one of the greatest African players of all time. Okocha was known for his confidence, technique, creativity, and dribbling skills, as well as his use of feints, in particular the stepover.

Okocha began playing football on the streets just like many other football stars, usually with a makeshift ball. In 1990, he joined Enugu Rangers. Later that year, he went on holiday to West Germany, the country that had just won the 1990 FIFA World Cup, so he could watch German league football. His friend Binebi Numa was playing in the Third Division for Borussia Neunkirchen, and one morning Okocha accompanied Numa to training, where he asked to join in. The Neunkirchen coach was impressed with Okocha's skills and invited him back the next day before offering him a contract. A year later, he joined FC Saarbrücken, From there to Eintracht Frankfurt.  Okocha joined Turkish club Fenerbahçe for approximately £1 million following Eintracht Frankfurt's relegation to the 2. Bundesliga. In his two seasons with the team, he amassed 30 goals in 62 appearances, many of them coming from direct free kicks, which became something of a trademark for him at the club.

His next stop was with PSG of France and from there to Bolton Wanderes in the summer of 2002. His debut season, despite being hampered by injuries, made him a favourite with the Bolton fans, with the team printing shirts with the inscription "Jay-Jay – so good they named him twice". He steered the team away from relegation with seven goals, including the team Goal of the Season in the vital league win against West Ham United.

In 2006 he moved to Qatar, and after just one season, moved again to Hull City in 2007. At the end of the season, he was released by the club, which ultimately sent him into retirement.

Thus came to an end the wonderful career of the great Jay Jay Okocha. Between Celestine Babayaro and Jay Jay Okocha, no one can say for sure who earned the most money through football, but the difference in the wealth status of both men, was not because of how much they earned while being active in football, but how much they invested.

Today, Jay Jay Okocha is regarded as the richest footballer in Nigeria. Over the years, he was investing carefully in real estate and other entrepreneurial activities.  He runs Okocha Group West Africa Limited, a business conglomerate that employs more than 250 staffs. Some of his businesses includes:
A relaxation Spot
Club 10
Bar
Restaurant
Bureau de change
Car importation
Wine Merchant
Supply of security equipment and staff
Property development
Football players’ management
Road construction
Rentals and Events Management
Electronic Sales
And others

Jay Jay Okocha is estimated to be worth over $150 Million.

I hope my point is beginning to sink in. In the last piece I wrote about Shina Peters vs Jim Ovia, many people misunderstood the point I was trying to make.

What you are earning, will not determine how wealthy you will become. It is what you invest, that will eventually make you rich. Celestine Babayaro may never recover financially again, because his earnings are no more coming, and he has more liabilities than investments – Cars that depreciate; family houses that cannot be rented out in London, but rather needs constant property tax payment to maintain; expensive lifestyle; etc. All these are liabilities that take away your earnings. Many celebrities and “rich” professionals, like doctors, bankers etc, actually have a negative cash flow. In other words, they may be earning say 10,000 annually, but are spending 12,000 to buy and maintain liabilities. So once the earnings stops, they quickly become broke.

You may not be earning much, but never try to imitate others, or live a lifestyle that you cannot afford. It is foolish, because even those you are trying to impress don’t care and even if they care, they don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. They are here today and gone tomorrow. Look for ways of putting your money to work, invest your money, don’t spend it. Even if Mr Okocha becomes crippled today (God forbid!), he will continue to be wealthy, because his business investments will continue to bring in cash flow, as he is no longer depending on his earnings like in the case of Celestine.

Entrepreneurship is one of the best ways to invest your money. And it is not as difficult or risky as many people think. Ignorance is the reason why many people do not invest via entrepreneurship, and not lack of time or resources as many people claim. This is what Millionaires Academy is teaching youths all over Nigeria today. You need to become financially literate, so you can secure your future tomorrow. Majority of our youths, even graduates are financial illiterates.

Let me give you an example of a very simple investment/liability scenario. You have N300,000 today, you can use it to buy an iphone7. This is a liability. In 5 years’ time, it will be selling for less than N20,000 in Computer village. Assume you live in certain busy areas, you can use that money and buy some canopies, seats etc, and rent it out for events. (Actually this was the first business Okocha did; Okocha Rentals.) Few boys are all you need to be moving it from place to place. In one year, you will have your capital back, and the properties will continue to give you money. This is just an illustration, but still feasible in some places, with some modifications to the business model.

Wealth creation is a subject that can learned, and anybody can build wealth over a period of time. For some it may be shorter and longer for others, but wealth creation follows certain principle that once set in motion, must yield the desired result. So I will urge you to start building your financial future now.

One of the critical problems we have in this country is a very low human capacity development. We have the natural resources and the population, but we are severely under developed. We are seriously lacking in in personal development, and this is why foreigners come here and make huge money. A Chinese man once said that the streets in Nigeria are lined with gold. We import almost everything, even toothpicks. This is a tale for another day. But if the Chinese can come here and make it, If South Africans can come here and siphon great wealth via ShopRite, DSTV, MTN, real estate etc. why can’t we? We must begin now to develop our personal capacity whether the government supports you or not, but if you fail to develop yourself, foreigners will come here, and enslave you and your children in your own fatherland. Ask those working for Chinese and South Africans and you will understand what I mean.
[Source: Lifeskills]

REWIRING MEN'S MINDSET

So I was a guest on a family talk show this morning and I was asked "why does society put a higher moral burden on the girl and excuse the irresponsibility of the male"?

Hmmmmm very interesting conversation. At the core of the perceived "letting the boys off the hook" is the traditional masculine ideology which has 2 basic fundamentals.

Society has successfully socialised boys to believe they are "superior" to women and secondly,women are "sexual objects" of satisfaction to men.

At the core of the imbalance in moral expectations between females and males are the above ideologies that are passed from generation to generation.

We obviously have to do a lot of re programing to get things running at the intended plan where men set examples in all spheres including morales.

I will conclude this write up at a later date.

[Source: Deji Irawo]

A TRUE LIFE CONFESSION

It was a Sunday morning service and we were expecting to go through the routine service line ups. But we were in for a great change in our normal order of service.

Right after the opening prayer, our Pastor introduced a very old man as the guest speaker for that morning. He didn't look familiar to any of us. There were no Praises, no Worship, no Testimonies, no Choir ministration to usher in the man of God.
This old man climbed the pulpit as it were, and all eyes were fixed on him. The place was dead silent; you could have heard the drop of the tiniest of pins. It was as if a holy awe had descended to swallow all the noise in the Church auditorium.

When he opened his mouth, he spoke these words:
"I am just returning from the burial rites of one of my son's in the Lord". It wasn't what he said that made us more interested in what he had to tell us, but how he said it! It came from the depth of his soul.

"Before he died...", the man continued, "he came to my office and made a Confession to me. He pleaded with me to share with any willing audience. I called your Pastor because the Holy Spirit spoke to me that there are many of you young people here who can pick one or two vital lessons from the death of my son in the Lord".

The Silence became more louder! Everyone of us was arrested by the Holy Spirit to hear and heed to what the Lord had to say to us through this man. We just couldn't take our gaze, our hearts and minds off this unusual old man.
"This was his confession", he broke the Silence finally.

*(In the dead pastor's words).......*

"It was one Sunday afternoon after church service, and I heard a knock on my door. I was relaxing in the office because we had just closed a very beautiful and powerful service. The Power of God had fallen like rain upon the Church-- miracles, Healings, Prophetic ministrations and deliverance, Holy Spirit Baptism and any kind of move of the Holy Spirit you could identify with. I should have headed straight to the house to rest because that's the signal I had in my spirit. Instead, I came to the office to recline in my chair.
I asked the person to come in, and behold, there was this unusually beautiful and well-rounded fair lady before my face. I asked her to take the seat across my desk.

She introduced herself as a new convert- she had just received Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and Lord. She started heaping accolades upon my head, claiming how powerful and anointed I was, and how tremendously her life has been impacted by the morning's message and ministrations.
I was obviously happy that God had brought and won a new soul to Church.

She then told me how very great a miracle it was that God brought her to Church that faithful Sunday because she had just received an amount of money equivalent to 50 million Ghana Cedis, and she wanted to pay her tithe. She needed guidelines regarding how to invest the money. Her purpose for coming was first of all to introduce herself as a new active member of the Church of God, and also to seek my advice regarding how to invest the money, and of course pay her tithe. She was hoping that I could recommend some faithful and honest business men in the Church she could partner with.

This news was warmly received; my excitement knew no bounds. All of a sudden, unfinished and new projects of the Church started coming to mind- how we can use the tithe which was like 5 million Ghana Cedis to complete and start new projects. I was now merrier than before.

Out of excitement, I told her to write her address down because I wanted to visit her personally so we could discuss this goodnews in greater details.

She wrote down the address, and excused herself to leave. I didn't notice how seductive she was dressed until she stood to leave. All my adrenaline started running through my head to the tip of my trousers. I rebuked it but it made no difference. It seemed to me she noticed the effects her stature has had on me. I thought I even saw a smile on her face, but it didn't make no difference to me because I had her tithe on my mind.

I became restless after she had left. I wanted to run after her, to embrace her from behind, and to also take my tithe of course. But my body was too tired to obey such sentiments. I headed straight home, and had an unusually long rest. When I woke up it was morning already. Since Mondays were my days of rest, I decided to give her a call first thing after I had taken my bath and breakfast. I followed through my plans of course. It seemed I was possessed; I couldn't get her and her money out of my system. I felt the spirit of Grace speaking to my heart to be careful but I rebuked that Voice, reasoning that as a Shepherd I must take care of the Lord's Flock, especially the new ones. She was obviously new, and I had to concentrate on building her to become a spiritual giant. She could even become a singer in the Choir. All these I reasoned within to shut out and to shut down the Voice of the Spirit of Grace.

Before I realized I was with my phone dialing her digits. She was obviously expecting me by the sound of her voice on the other line. This was indeed a Divine confirmation that God wanted me to call her- so I reasoned within my heart to cloud the uneasiness I felt in my heart regarding this strange lady.

Even the story of the strange woman in the book of Proverbs came to mind but I quickly brushed it aside with a different Scripture, saying that all of us are sinners, making all of us strange men and women before God. If God accepted us as we were, I had to obviously accept her as the Lord had done to me. All these steps of thoughts gave me a false peace in my heart.

I put on my best dress and headed her address. I didn't inform any of the deacons and the elders of this great door the Lord was opening. I wanted to surprise them, testifying about the wonders of God. I had a prompting to call one of the women fellowship leaders to go with me but I quickly threw such suggestion outside the window. I needed to assure this new Sister that I personally cared for her life.

I got to her place in no time. The sight which greeted me should have sent common sense in my mind to run for my life but I couldn't because I had my mind made up to have her become a committed member of the Church and the money of course.

She was in a see-through blue attire, wearing this seductive smile on her face. My heart was by now beating faster than a 100m racer. I still had to chance to leave because I had not entered the room yet. But I found myself smiling broadly as I entered her room.
She excused herself in order to bring me something soft to drink. It was when she was leaving my presence that I noticed that she had no underwear on. That alone should have sent me packing but I didn't because I had convinced myself that I needed to establish her as a member and of course, take my tithe of 5 million Ghana Cedis!

As she was away, series of Scriptures started coming to my heart, as though a man were standing before me, reading these verses aloud. Scriptures of fleeing Temptations, Samson and Delilah, Tamar and Judah, Joseph and Portiphar's wife, Israel and the Moabite Women, came very alive to my heart. I didn't heed to any of these warnings. That moment was supernaturally elongated because I felt the Recollection of the Scriptures had taken more than one hour. It all happened with 5 minutes.

Afterwards, she came wearing that same seductive smile, and swinging her waist rhythmically to a song only she could hear.
We exchanged the normal pleasantries. We even prayed; I spoke in tongues for some 10 minutes. She was saying resounding  Amens to all the declarations and blessings.

When I was through, she came to sit very close to me. I could see her breasts, and that adrenaline that rushed through my head to the tips of my trousers came all over, this time with such intensity that I thought I was under an electric shock. She pressed her chest against my arm, and before long we were kissing. There was no going back- eventually I slept with her or rather she slept with me.
When we were through, she smiled a smile of Victory that shook me to the very core of my being. It's influence was more powerful than the pleasures I had experienced within those few moments back. I sheepishly smiled back at her. I couldn't recall what happened between that moment and the time I got home. My thoughts were clouded. I didn't have that fiery feeling I always had in my belly again- something tangible and indispensable had left me. I didn't know to weep or laugh. My thoughts were scattered. The pain I experienced within those dark moments were such deep and horrific that no level of pleasure could have offset such anguish and hopelessness. The day ended.

I went to the office on Tuesday morning, and I received a video on my whatsapp. I downloaded it, and to the deepest shock of my life, I saw myself busily and hungrily having sex with a woman whose face had been edited from the video. My face was clear as crystal.
Within very few minutes there was a knock on my door and without beckoning the person to come in, the knob turned and there stood before me lady of my nightmares.

She was no longer the composed, affectionate, smiling lady I saw just a couple of days before. The lady that stood before me was fierce and had wickedness written all over her face. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

She made herself comfortable in the chair opposite mine, and without being asked what her mission was, she spat these words *'You fool, I will show you pepper'.* She made good actions of her words. She demanded a cheque of 10 million Ghana Cedis from the tithes of the Church or else she would release the video on all social media platforms. She gave me two days to produce such money or else my end was as certain as the break of dawn. She stood to take her leave.

I think I saw her face turned to be something demonic. She began laughing hysterically. When she was through, she looked straight into my eyes and said blatantly, *'Pastor Timothy, I AM TAKING YOU DOWN'.* And she walked out of the office."

*(The Young man's voice is now over...the old Preacher continued).*

"He came to see me a few days after. He couldn't cry, he couldn't pray, he couldn't say any proper words of confession. I tried praying with him but the Heavens over us were shut. Only a passage of Scripture stood in the Atmosphere:
  *Hebrews 10:26-31 (NKJV)*
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The Lord will judge His people."
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."....

By now, everyone was sobbing. We were all lamenting over  the story we just heard from this old Preacher. The young pastor committed suicide. He was anointed. He was powerful.

The old man continued...
"I came here because there are many of you who are still living in sin, seeking no help from its deliverance.

The Enemy saw a weakness or two in him; lust for money and beautiful, well-rounded women. The Devil was more than glad to offer these because he knew he could eventually get hold of him.

The Spirit of Revelation whispered to my heart: _the pastor didn't deal with the little Foxes in his life when he was under training._ He occasionally satisfied his lust by framing stories to get money;  and watching pornographic materials.

The Spirit of Grace was on him, Teaching, Guiding, Rebuking, Correcting him.... yet he didn't listen. If he listened, he didn't apply Jesus' formula of dealing with weights and besetting sins: *If your right hand offends you, CUT IT OFF for it is far better to enter into life Maimed than to perish with your whole body intact*.
*He played around sin.*
*He cajoled sin.*
*He treated sin lightly.*
*He entertained that which had the capacity to destroy him, both in time and in eternity.*
The first thing Sin takes care of in a person's life is the Glory of God. You lose your spiritual beauty and splendor once you live in sin.

Listen to me, my dear young people:
_You cannot use smartness of analysis and scriptural inductions to confuse God._ Forever His Word is firmly established. *Seriously consider the following Scriptures:*
*Galatians 5:19-21; 1 John 3:8;* *Hebrews 4:6-7; 2 Peter 1:5-10".*

He then prayed with all of us, making an Altar Call for who had wanted to receive Jesus Christ into their hearts, and those of us who needed to rededicate their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We didn't take an offering that Sunday...
Friends didn't walk in groups...
Everyone was engrossed in his or her thoughts, perhaps pondering on the sad story of the promising young man of God and also our own very conditions before the Lord.

*_Every little thing you are doing in secret has the potential to bring unto you a public ridicule or applause the future._*
*Grace is not a license to nonsense.*
*Sin is a mocker- it's wages is still DEATH.*

[ Source: Anonymous]

WHAT MEN NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR WIFE

A lot of people have made comments which has led me to believe that they think I have had it easy in marriage, probably because of the way I write. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your perspective; I haven't, My wife and I have had our fair share of quarrels and disagreements, some of which threatened the very foundation of our marriage; but because we have God, love, tolerance and understanding we always emerge stronger and closer with a renewed resolve each time to stay happily together until death do us part. We have always reminded ourselves that since we are in this until the end, it will be foolish not to create a happy environment for each other and the kids. I don't know what tomorrow holds for us, but one thing is for sure, we will try to keep our promise to each other that we will not let any issues derail our journey.

I am not perfect, I have made mistakes and will probably make more, the important thing is to realise when you have erred and genuinely ask your spouse for forgiveness. This is extremely difficult for some men, but If you can be man enough to kneel and propose to your wife, you should be an even bigger man to go on two knees and ask for forgiveness when you know you have hurt her. I have done it, and it doesn't make my wife respect me less, I'd rather beg, be forgiven and be happy than be stubborn and end up miserable. Playing "the macho man head of the family" card when you know you are wrong creates an irreparable damage which if allowed to go on will ultimately destroy even the closest couple.

After I got married 17 years ago, the first thing I did in my ignorance was to immediately crown myself the undisputed king and master of my household and demand total submission from my wife. She resisted initially, but being properly groomed, kind hearted and in love, she submitted totally. I was elated, finally I have secured my kingdom. One month, two months, three months, I became bored and lonely at the top, I suddenly realized that I have lost my voice of reason and my adviser. I quickly moved to remedy the situation, but my wife had become very good and comfortable at submitting, I became miserable. It took many months to get her back to a point where she can again fearlessly oppose me on issues, but with a subtle reverence.

Gentlemen, one of the biggest mistakes a man will make is to marry a woman who will sheepishly submit to your whims and caprices. A woman who will never oppose you or have an opinion, a woman who is too afraid of you to speak out, The day this happens is the day you become doomed to fail. A wife is the only person who knows the real you, therefor she will give genuine advise because  your failure or success is hers as well. If she has kids for you, it makes her more passionate when protecting your interests because by extension she is protecting her children's future.

A woman is very analytical, intuitive and possesses the best character profiling abilities. I have a habit of inviting people I want to do business with home so that my wife can scan for possible hidden threats, she is almost never wrong. The few times my ego blinded me to the veracity of her advise, I made terrible mistakes which I have had to deal with to date. Listen to her always, it will save you a great deal.

Your wife is not the enemy, when you exert too much energy fighting her at home, where will you find the strength to fight your many daily battles out there. Your home must be a heaven of peace to ensure good health, happiness and maximum productivity for both of you. It is completely okay to disagree or quarrel, how you emerge from these disagreements is what makes the difference between sadness and Joy. You are the man, she knows this, she also knows you are physically stronger, she may not tell you, she accepts that you are the head of the family, so you don't have anything to prove to her. She will still nag, accuse you or disagree with you unnecessarily sometimes, all she needs is reassurances of your love and commitment to her. Your patience will be tested, as the leader you must teach by example and remain calm always, avoid being drawn into arguments so that both of you won't say things you will regret later. Remember physical injuries may heal, but verbal scars last a lifetime, when she throws tantrums or becomes annoyingly unreasonable, treat her like a daughter who doesn't know what she is doing, caution and correct in love. There is a reason you chose her over all the others keep this in mind always. You can always get a woman to do whatever you want but you have to be patient,  avoid fashioning your request to look like an order, pamper her first , show her love, then ask with a smile, she is all yours -
[Source: Sir Stanley Ekezie]

WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT AWOLOWO

*** Please read the letter below, by Chief Awolowo requesting for an education loan from Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola on March 25, 1943 , (the richest Ijebu man in those days) and promised to pay back by 1955. It is fascinating, long and interesting. ****

~ LETTER:

Dear Mr. Odutola,

I think it will be an exceeding saving of time and more business-like if I avoid all sweet preliminaries and go straight into the object of this letter and say that I am writing to ask you to be good enough to lend me a sum of £1,400 (One thousand and four hundred pounds) free of interest for twelve years.

It is a staggering figure! More staggering indeed does it become, when it is realized that I, who am asking for this loan, have nothing in all the world to give as a security for this money, excepting my good faith and my brains which again are of value only so long as I continue to breathe the breath of life!

Nevertheless, I here proceed to outline in brief why i want this big loan from you. And I hope you will be kind enough to sacrifice some time to go through what I have to say, even though, in  the end you might find yourself unable to do me this grand favour.

One great ambition of mine since my boyhood days is to be a lawyer, a politician and a journalist, rolled into one. I cherish politics and journalism as a career, and I desire advocacy as a means of livelihood. For you will agree with me that a politician or journalist who has no money with which to support himself and family comfortably, is like a blade which has no razor.

Now, at one time, I was on the verge of making enough money with which I could proceed to England in order to pursue the object of my ambition; but I suffered a twist in my fortune, and I crashed. Ever since, I have tried without success to recover lost grounds, financially. But spiritually and intellectually, I have made appreciable advance in spite of towering difficulties, all of which have now been surmounted.

As you are aware, I have just passed the intermediate Bachelor of Commerce Examination. Next year, I am taking the final B.Com. Having a degree is not my goal; I hate to be a government or mercantile employee. Otherwise, there are opportunities for me here and there to get a suitable and well paid job under government or one of the mercantile houses. As you know, however, once I become an employee of government or a mercantile establishment that is the end to my career as a politician and journalist. I have therefore resolved that under no circumstances will I take up such employment.

That is just by the way. I am now thirty-four years of age. After careful thought, I have come to the conclusion that if I could raise a loan free of interest sufficient to cover expenses, I should go to England, this year and within three years, I should qualify as a Barrister –at –law, and also obtain with Honours the LL.B Degree of London University. In addition this degrees apart from giving me good backing as a solicitor and Advocate will help me immensely as a politician and journalist.

But where on earth could i get the money? Who in Nigeria today could give £1,400 free of interest to help his fellow-man? J. Henry Doherty, Esq., of illustrious memory who did the like to many successful Nigerians is no more. But after meticulous, shifting and weighing, I hit upon you.

I have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that out of the bounty with which providence blesses your grit and efforts as a businessman, you can well easily afford to advance such a sum of money. I have no doubt too that as a young and progressive man you will be quite happy to give the money for the pursuit of the project for which I desire it.

But then, could you take this risk?

That is the question. As I have said before, I have no security for this loan. Moreover, I want it free of interest. So that you stand to gain absolutely NOTHING in the whole transaction, except the satisfaction that by helping me to achieve my ambition you are indirectly or even directly helping Nigeria or even Africa.

This risk becomes greater when it is borne in mind that I might die in the course of my studies or immediately after, so that, since I have no security or surety, you stand the chance of losing not only the money but also the satisfaction which you may cherish that you are contributing to the uplift of Africa. It is indeed a great risk; the greatest any man ever embarks upon.

But, this is a big BUT, if I live, as I have no doubt I will do, you will not only get your money back in full, but you will, to the end of your days, have cause to rejoice that you have done one of the most outstanding and most philanthropic acts any human being ever does. Among other things, I shall make excellent use of the money while in England by breaking records in my examination. On my return  to Nigeria, I shall strive to be one of the foremost advocates, politicians and writers in West Africa, and while I do all these, I shall make it a point not only to pay your money back in full, but also to repay your kindness and generosity towards me in every way I can.

All the same, it is a big risk! So, Sir, I like you to think seriously about it, and see if you can take it in the interest of a young man who has brain, industry and determination to back his ambition, but lacks the money. I know we have never been close friends, but I have a shrewd idea that you may take the risk and help me.

On this assumption, therefore, I proceed to the next and last stage of this letter.

I shall not require the whole £1,400 in a lump sum. To start with, you will help me pay a sum of £208-13s-3d to the Inner Temple. I have already received an application form from this Inn of Court; and from the details forwarded, I gather that the sum of £208-13s-3d will cover all the cost of training as a barrister, examination fees excluded.

When I am ready to sail, you will advance me a sum of £100 to cover passage, provision for my family and any other incidental expenses (NOTE: If I got torpedoed on the way, you would certainly lose this £100 but you will recover the £208-13s-3d).

At the same time you will remit to a London Bank the sum of £491-6s-9d. It is out of this amount that I shall pay the university fees for LL.B course and for special courses in political science and journalism, when I land in England. This is to say, the initial advance will total £800.

At the end of the first year, provided I make satisfactory progress in my studies, you will give instruction to the bank to honour all cheques from me drawn on this account. There will be an arrangement to be signed by me on my return.

On my return, I shall require TWO years within which to establish a solid practice and build a good reputation. After these two years, I should commence to pay at least £200 per annum either in monthly, quarterly or annual payments. So that in seven years after the first two years, I should pay back the whole sum of £1,400. That will be TWELVE YEARS from the time you help me to pay this in April or so this year, then I should be due to pay the whole of £1,400 by April 1955.

Now, as you yourself will see, this is the farthest limit within which I can pay the money. It may be possible for me to pay the money within THREE to FIVE years of my return. As a matter of fact, the sooner I pay it off, the better. But it is much better to be on the safe side in a matter like this. It is no making promises now which will be difficult to fulfil in future. On the contrary it is better to mention a period of twelve years and pay within SIX or EIGHT years than to mention FIVE YEARS and fail to pay within TEN years. Personally, I prefer that I should fail to get the loan under theses unattractive but sure conditions, rather than succeed in getting it under attractive but precarious conditions.

Now, this is all I have to say. You have my request before you, and the reason why i make the request. It is left for you to decide whether it is worthwhile to take the risk of helping me in the manner outlined above or not.

If you do me the great favour, not only myself and all that are mine, but also God and Africa will be grateful, I shall have no cause whatsoever to grumble or to blame you, FOR THE RISK IS GREAT.

Since this is a very selfish request, I enclosed herewith a self addressed stamped envelope to be sent under a registered post.

Obafemi Awolowo.

Merciful God!

* Chief Odutola refused him of the Loan, Awo could not travel that year. He buckle up his lace and by August 14, 1944 (one year later) he travelled to England, became a Barrister at law and was called to the Bar in November 1946. Amazingly, by 1954 (A year to the time he promised to pay Chief Odutola the Loan ) , Chief Awolowo was already a Premier in the Defunct Western Region and already giving out Scholarship to over 200 undergraduates (First of its kind in Africa).

I find it a great pleasure, to replicate the full version of the Awoistic dedicatory letter, following a stiff request by friends that the Nigerian Youths need to see and digest this memorial document.

YOU CAN GET FREE FROM EMOTIONAL WOUNDS

Many individual who have been hurt never realize that their feelings of rejection, anger, guilt, withdrawal, or negative responses are all a result of past abuse.

Be free to respond to God's creative plan for your life.

▪March 29th - April 1st.
▪5pm daily
▪ @ Shekina Plaza, 1 Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Beside Monday Market, Garki 2, Abuja.

#UNBOUND with Kay Benson-Akhigbe II

READ THIS BEFORE YOU MARRY

Well this was written by a lady. I think its a good piece that should get read by guys and girls alike. Enjoy it and be wise thereafter!
-----------------------------
So sisters...
What exactly are we bringing to the table?
A big booty? A Perfectly sculpted brows? A shape to die for? A full head of Brazilian hair? A penchant for the latest songs and
dance steps? A group of empty and vacuous brained friends?
Is that all?
What exactly is he going to find when he knocks on your head? All the episodes of Zee World, Telemundo, Tinsel and Africa
Magic all recorded in perfect sequence? Empire nko? Every soundtrack, every character dissected to a tee?
Do you know anything about the New World Order? Neo-colonialism? Your own home politics? What's happening in
Ghana, The Gambia, Gabon? Do you even know something about anything remotely connected to intelligent discourse?
When last did you read a book? No not Hints. Not Genevieve. Not Arise. A book. You know that sort that has printed pages
in between covers and no pictures just words? Oh they give you a headache?
What exactly will bring a man your way and keep him? Do you have a source of income? A skill? Financial intelligence or you are a walking ATM seeker?
Do you always ask ask ask and not
work work work?
Do you know how to cook? Yes cook. Cook for yourself at least not because you want to keep a man but because you ought to take better care of what you feed your body?
Do you know the way to the kitchen or are you a Mr Biggs, Dominoes or KFC shareholder. Never mind the bigger swankier restaurants.
Tell me what exactly are you bringing to the table? There are times he would need a real woman to share his worries with and your miniskirts and long lashes won't bring
anything to that table.
Most of us tend to spend so much on
appearances trying to look sexy as hell forgetting he will not be horny forever! There would be days when he would need
your managerial qualities, but you're only used to being lavish;
SLAY MAMA!
Don't spend all your days making up and turning up anywhere a DJ takes his speakers to. Build yourself. Learn and practice things that can value to your life,that is the real sexy!
We need responsible mothers for our unborn children, not just SLAY QUEENS!
This is 2017. Entitlement died on December 26th and was buried on December 31st 2016. Wise up.
This is 2017... the year of the strong woman. Say it. Mean it.
Believe it. Be it!

WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IBADAN

I was surprised when I read through this piece about Ibadan and I am sure you will be amazed too. Did/Do you know that:

*Ibadan is the third Largest city in Africa after Cairo and Johannesburg (Wikipedia)
*Ibadan is the third most Populous city in Nigeria after Kano and Lagos
*Ibadan is the Home of Nigeria Army 2nd Division

*Ibadan City alone has a population of 3,720,643 people (2006 census), with this more populous than States like, Enugu, Gombe, Osun, Cross-River, Sokoto, Ondo, Kebbi, Edo, Benue, Bayelsa, Abia, Kwara, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Taraba, Pleatue, Ekiti, Yobe and Zamfara (2006 census)

*Ibadan has 11 recognised Local Government Area with an Average of 338,462 people per L.G.A as against 150,000 people per L.G.A of Fed constitution recommendation, the Nigerian Constitution stipulate 14 L.G.A for provision to create a state
* "Ibadan North" L. G. A. is one of the first four most populated L.G.A in Nigeria with 856,988 people and Oluyole 734,377 people (2006 census)

*Ibadan has 5 metropolitan L.G.A namely Ibadan North, Ibadan North-West, Ibadan North-East, Ibadan South-West and Ibadan South-East
*Ibadan has 6 Urban L.G.A namely Egbeda, Oluyole, Ona-Ara, Lagelu,Akinyele and Iddo
*Ibadan has its oldest L.G.A as Oluyole L.G.A and Lagelu L.G.A

*Ibadan is the Capital of Western Colonial Administration 1893 and also Western Region since 1939
*Ibadan operates the most orderly and peaceful monarchy system anywhere in the whole universe
*Ibadan hosts the very first University in Nigeria and the first and the best Zoological Garden nationwide (in the University of Ibadan campus)
*Ibadan cover a total Area of 3,186 sq. km (1,195sq miles) close to the whole of Lagos State 3,348 sq. km

*Ibadan has 7 Federal Constituencies as against constitution stipulation of 6 to create a state
*Ibadan puts Oyo State as the 4th largest economy in Nigeria
*Ibadan is Nigeria’s 3rd cheapest city to live.
*Ibadan has a Federal Airport (Alakia), boarding passengers to cities like Kano, Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt etc.
*Ibadan has 4 Government Reservation Areas (GRA, as we call them) – Iyaganku, Jericho, Onireke, and Agodi.

*Ibadan hosted the first Housing Corporation in Nigeria that built the first housing estate in Nigeria, Bodija Housing Estate.
* Ibadan has the oldest Surviving Newspaper in Nigeria (Tribune Newspaper)
* Ibadan hosts the first TV station in the whole of Africa 1959 as WRBC, later WNTV/WNBS and now NTA Ibadan
* Ibadan has 7 Television stations (Galaxy as the first private station in Nigeria 1996, NTA, AIT, MiTV, BCOS, Channels Ibadan and Silverbird Ibadan)
* Ibadan has a whopping 14 Radio stations operating in the same city; namely Fresh FM, Splash FM, Inspiration, Premier FM, Oluyole FM, Lagelu FM, Star FM, Space FM, Diamond/UI FM, Naija FM, Radio Nigeria, Amuludun FM etc.

*Ibadan hosts Mapo Hall, one of only 2 Town Halls in Africa of Greco-Roman architectural style.
*Ibadan’s house-numbering, system for postal delivery using the cardinal points, N, S, E, W, SW, SE, NW, and NE is the only one of such postal codes in Africa, designed by the British.
*Ibadan has the Bower Tower, designed by British Colonial Officer Taffy (also designed the Mapo Hall) is the only structure of its kind in Nigeria and West Africa, located on top of the city in the Agala Forest.

*Ibadan hosted the first fruit canning factory in Nigeria, Lafia Canning Company, established and owned by the Western Nigeria Development Corporation, and supplied by the citrus and pineapple farm of Apoje, near Ijebu Igbo (in present day Ogun State)

*Ibadan consists of several almost-independent, self-sustaining big communities:
• The City itself
• University of Ibadan campus
• The Ibadan Polytechnic campus
• The University College Hospital (UCN) community
• The Moor Plantation Community, including the IAR&T campus
• The IITA community
• CRIN community
• The Nigerian Railway compound and living quarters
• The Odogbo Barracks community of the Nigerian Army
• The Lead City University campus
• The religious communities of Immanuel College and the Dominican Community

*Ibadan is the only city in Nigeria that has over 15 Federal Tertiary Institutions/Research Institutes, namely:
1. University of Ibadan, formerly University College, Ibadan,1948 (Nigeria’s Premier University).
2. Nigeria Institute for Social and Economic Research, (NISER)
3. Institute for Agricultural Research and Training (I.A.R &T) Moor Plantation
4. National Institute of Horticulture Research and Training (NIHORT)
5. National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) 1978
6. National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI)
7. Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN)
8. University College Hospital (UCH) 1948, including School of Nursing
9. Federal School of Statistics
10. Federal School of Hygiene
11. Federal Co-operative College
12. Federal College of Agriculture,1921
13. Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology
14. Federal College of Forestry
15. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA (an international/global Institute)
16. Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN)1976
17. National Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISCLT)
18. Ibadan Polytechnic (owned by Oyo State) but started as the National College of Science and Technology

* Ibadan has several private higher institutions of learning such as:
• Immanuel College of Theology
• Lead City University
• Ibadan City Polytechnic
• BOLMOL Polytechnic
• Dominican University
• Tower Polytechnic
• All-Ibadan College of Education
• Mufu Lanihun College of Education

*Ibadan has the Largest Supermarket in Africa (Shoprite Ibadan Ring-Road branch)
*Ibadan has the first stadium and International Stadium in Nigeria (1945) the Liberty Stadium (now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium) with 35,846 capacity

*Ibadan is the home of Book Publishers, having over major 20 printing companies i.e. Oxford University Press, Ibadan University Press, Heinemann, Evans, Spectrum, Bounty, Odua Press, Macmillan etc.

*Ibadan hosts the Regional Headquarter of Central Bank Of Nigeria, Dugbe, under which states like Ondo,Delta, Ogun, Kogi,Edo Ekiti, Ilorin, and Oyo operate
*Ibadan to Oyo is the first motorable road in Nigeria 1905 built by Sir Percy Girouard
*The busiest road in Nigeria after Lagos-Abeokuta expressway is Lagos-Ibadan followed by Abuja-Kaduna express road
*An Ibadan man, Mr Taiwo Akinkumi designed Nigeria Nation Flag (1959)
*Ibadan has the first tallest building in Africa, "Cocoa House" 1952

*Ibadan hosts the first set of Secondary schools in Nigeria
• St. Anne's School, Molete 1868,
• Ibadan Grammar School, Molete, 1913,
• Ibadan Boys High School, 1938,
• Government College, Apata, Ibadan 1927,
• Queen School, Apata, Ibadan 1956,
• St Patrick Grammar School 1962,
• Ibadan City Academy, Eleta, 1946,
• Wesley College, Elekuro, (a teacher training college) 1905,
• St. Theresa’s Girl School, Oke-Ado, 1932,
• Yejide Girls Grammar School, Kudeti, 1956,
• Loyola College, Agodi,1954,
• Lagelu Grammar School, Agugu,1958
• Igbo Elerin Grammar School, via Ibadan, 1957

*Ibadan is the city with the highest number of Professors in the whole of Africa
*Ibadan is the fastest growing city in Nigeria (NBS)

Compiled by Gaphar Ojetola and Akintokunbo Adejumo

BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO PASTOR KAY

Please join us celebrate a wonderful world class icon, a mentor, and a very rare breed of Anointing, Beauty, Charisma, Devotion, Energy, Faith, Godliness, Hope, Integrity, Jesusmaniac, Knowledge, Love, Motherliness, No-nonesensity, Opulent, Prayerful, Quintessential, Resourceful, Strong, Thoroughness, Untiring, Vivacious, Wowful, Xenodochial, Youthful & Zestful - Pastor Kay Benson Akhigbe II
Happy Birthday to You!
We love You Ma.

HOW TO GROW IN 2017

I like to say that responsibility is the new name of the game, and as long as you are not living up to your responsibility, you are not in the game. You are just sitting on the sidelines of line; observing but never getting to play on the field. When God created you, He did not design you to be an onlooker, but He designed you to take up a unique role in the larger scheme of things where you can make your destiny count for His glory. As you get on in years, a lot also has to change about you. You need to understand the reason for your existence, you need to understand your unique role, you need to discipline yourself, and you need to do what needs to be done in order to get you to the place of your destiny. But if you take a good look around you today, you will realize that there are so many people who do not know where they are going and they do not know what to do to get anywhere. Some others know where they are going, but they will not do what is necessary to get there; they don’t want to assume responsibility for their lives. They don’t want to practice discipline. They don’t want to delay gratification. They don’t want to deny themselves of temporary pleasure in exchange for a life of purpose.

ACTION PLAN
Maybe you have been reluctant to take up responsibility, and you know that it is what you should do, this New Year presents another opportunity for you to put away childish things. I don’t know in which area of your life you know that you need to grow up. You can ask God to reveal to you those areas where you need to take greater responsibility than you are doing now. And as you grow in to responsibility, remember that it is not only about you, you should also be able to pour yourself into other people and groom them to greatness as well.
[Source: Ben & Kay Akhigbe II]

PREPARE TO CHANGE YOUR CARRER - Par 1

Welcome to 2017! This is a thought provoking piece and I believe it should get one thinking of preparing you for the future.
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Imagine a new world, beyond what you see and know today!

As the New Year approaches, let’s start planning ahead. Look around you, what do you see?  I’ll say that time and again. Now is the time to start preparing for the future, because it’s already here! Are you ready?

The other day in New York I took a ride in an Uber (by now you already know what that is, so I won't explain) and struck up a conversation with the driver.

"So how long have you driven for Uber?"

"About three years."

"What did you do before you went to Uber?"

"I had another career"

"What, may I ask?"

"I drove a Yellow Cab."

We continued to talk, as I pumped him for information about Uber and its business model, from the perspective of a driver who is himself an entrepreneur.

"So, do you make more money now?"

"In the beginning we made a lot of money. Now it's more competitive. There are more Uber drivers and more competitors to Uber itself."

"So, what happens now?"

"In a few years, drivers like me will be replaced by driverless cars,” he said. “You know about the race to get driverless cars on the road, sir?"

"Yes, I'm following it closely."

"Do you think it is a good thing to replace humans with driverless cars?"

I didn’t answer him, but instead posed a question. (I estimated he was about 30 years old).

"So, what will you do?"

"Me? I will change my career again; I'm already preparing because I want to be ready."

"You are a wise man. Thanks for the ride." And with that I went my way.

Something he said really got me thinking: "I will change my career again."

What particularly impressed me was his attitude towards it all:  He accepted this change as normal. He was positive even. It's not always so when I meet people and discuss something like this. Often I hear fear, bitterness and anger towards something or somebody!

Each one of us (myself included) must now change our careers at least every five years.  That’s the new normal… but how many of us realize this?

Changing your career does not necessarily mean changing your job or employer, but the job you do and how it’s done will change constantly or it might disappear completely!

If you’ve been feeling that you’re not moving forward, or that you’re sliding backwards in your career, it may well be because you didn’t see this change happening around you. Perhaps you don’t "see" the new normal, where change is the only constant.

Does that make you feel uncomfortable? I'm not here to help you feel comfortable with yourself. I want you to make adjustments that will help make you a winner.  If that doesn’t happen, you could end up feeling confused, angry and frustrated by things mostly outside your control.

__How well prepared are you for the changes occurring around you?
 
Almost 25 years ago now, our company imagined a world of African telecommunications beyond telephone landlines. Back then, most people everywhere (not just in Africa) still thought having “a phone in your handbag” sounded quite absurd! Now look where we are!

What do YOU see and imagine when you look at the horizon ahead? Might you have the vision to look even BEYOND that first horizon to something as yet unimagined?

Wherever you are, get ready for the future. It is coming, and it’s coming fast, and you better get ready.

It’s not just about technology or globalization; it’s much more profound than that, and I'll talk about it as part of this series.

To be continued. . .
[Source: Strive Masiyiwa]